Discussion
Who knew it was this complicated!
I need to perform an oil change on my 95 Serpentine 400. I have a few questions if any fancies an opinion.
1. I would like to fit a magnetic sump plug which uses the allen key head and self sealing washer, does anyone know if this is available anywhere? I believe Steve Heath used to do it but he is closed now.
2. Which filter to use, and where to source.
3. Which oil to use. The car has done 70k and recently had a new cam and big ends done.. It has 10w/40 semi in currently.
4. When instructions say replace the filter quickly to avoid having to reprime the oil pump, what constitutes quickly?
I'm sure that most of these are novice questions for most on here however everyone has to start somewhere!!
Cheers.
I need to perform an oil change on my 95 Serpentine 400. I have a few questions if any fancies an opinion.
1. I would like to fit a magnetic sump plug which uses the allen key head and self sealing washer, does anyone know if this is available anywhere? I believe Steve Heath used to do it but he is closed now.
2. Which filter to use, and where to source.
3. Which oil to use. The car has done 70k and recently had a new cam and big ends done.. It has 10w/40 semi in currently.
4. When instructions say replace the filter quickly to avoid having to reprime the oil pump, what constitutes quickly?
I'm sure that most of these are novice questions for most on here however everyone has to start somewhere!!
Cheers.
Sump plug:
There was a thread about a Massey Ferguson tractor replacement sump plug (allen key type) fitting. IIRC, they were advertised on e-bay
If you stick with the standard plug, it needs a 29mm spanner and most, if not all, have a compression washer, which was a std Land Rover fitment, although not the only one fitted to the Land Rover V8 engine.
Filter: Original LandRover part number is ERR 3340. Other non-original ones include Mahle OC261; Bosch 451104014; Motaquip VFL 378:Mann 930/20 (those reference numbers are ones I have collated over the years and are correct, as far as I know)
Can be sourced at Land Rover specialists, most motor factors, or TVR specialists
This link might help for part numbers and associated Chimaera info..
http://www.chimaerapages.com/resources_partslist.p...
Type of oil: Most people refrain from asking this question as you'll receive hundreds of different answers. Personally, for general use (ie not track etc..) in a standard engine and with regular changes, a decent 10/40 semi would be okay in my opinion, though I know others don't agree.
Some will state only 5/50, or 10/50, or 10/60 etc., and yet more will suggest 20/50 on the basis that that was what was around when the engine was originally designed.
There are some who believe 0 or 5 rated oils are a bit thin and lead to noisier tappets. Yet others will state that the thinner oil assists in quick circulation on start up. The official answer to the required grade will, of course, be on the plate under the bonnet!
Oil filter change: I believe the issue of the pump draining when filter removed is not so much a concern with a serp. engine as changes were made. Helpful to fill filter before fitting , although bear in mind it isn't vertical!
Sump capacity seems to vary. IIRC (and without digging my handbook out) the book states 5 litres on refill, eyt often people find 6 litres needed to take it to the 'max' on the dipstick.
Have fun
There was a thread about a Massey Ferguson tractor replacement sump plug (allen key type) fitting. IIRC, they were advertised on e-bay
If you stick with the standard plug, it needs a 29mm spanner and most, if not all, have a compression washer, which was a std Land Rover fitment, although not the only one fitted to the Land Rover V8 engine.
Filter: Original LandRover part number is ERR 3340. Other non-original ones include Mahle OC261; Bosch 451104014; Motaquip VFL 378:Mann 930/20 (those reference numbers are ones I have collated over the years and are correct, as far as I know)
Can be sourced at Land Rover specialists, most motor factors, or TVR specialists
This link might help for part numbers and associated Chimaera info..
http://www.chimaerapages.com/resources_partslist.p...
Type of oil: Most people refrain from asking this question as you'll receive hundreds of different answers. Personally, for general use (ie not track etc..) in a standard engine and with regular changes, a decent 10/40 semi would be okay in my opinion, though I know others don't agree.
Some will state only 5/50, or 10/50, or 10/60 etc., and yet more will suggest 20/50 on the basis that that was what was around when the engine was originally designed.
There are some who believe 0 or 5 rated oils are a bit thin and lead to noisier tappets. Yet others will state that the thinner oil assists in quick circulation on start up. The official answer to the required grade will, of course, be on the plate under the bonnet!
Oil filter change: I believe the issue of the pump draining when filter removed is not so much a concern with a serp. engine as changes were made. Helpful to fill filter before fitting , although bear in mind it isn't vertical!
Sump capacity seems to vary. IIRC (and without digging my handbook out) the book states 5 litres on refill, eyt often people find 6 litres needed to take it to the 'max' on the dipstick.
Have fun
s p a c e m a n said:
If you're using the david brown tractor plug you need to buy a dowty washer to match as the one supplied is pants, I bought a bag of them from ebay.
Funny that, I've done at least four oil changes since finding this sump plug and it still doesn't leak a drop 
To my mind & in my experience, as long as the rubber lip seal that's supplied with the plug is seated correctly there's no reason why it should leak.
I extensively used Dowty's when I worked on hydraulic plant and they do work well under hydraulic pressure, perhaps a bit overkill for a sump plug though.
A Dowty works by sealing the tread only, look closely and you'll see at the head of the David Brown sump plug is a waisted area of a lesser diameter than the thread, this is right where you're asking the Dowty to seal.
So you'll be winding it tightly on the thread, then as it reaches the end of the thread the inner seal of the Dowty will go loose, this is not what you want if the Dowty is to work as intended.
The sump plug and the threaded boss in the sump have two flat machined faces designed for a compression seal to go between them, I actually found the supplied lip seal both bites into the thread & operates as a compression seal all in one which is the best of both worlds and the reason I continue to use it.
If you still feel the lip seal is inadequate, personally I'd be tempted to use a neoprene washer rather than a baggy fit Dowty, remember a sump plug only needs to hold the oil back under gravity it's a zero pressure fitting so there's no need for high pressure Dowty seal.
Just stick one of these on with the adhesive side to the sump plug head face and the plain side to the flat machined face of the sump boss:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neoprene-Rubber-Washers-...
If you want to seal the thread use PTFE tape, but it really shouldn't be necessary.
Personally I'll be be continuing with the supplied lip seal because in my experience it works perfectly, just make sure you pinch it up properly and you really shouldn't have any drips.
Fair enough on the way that a dowty works, I just used it because it was linked to me from someone on here after they said that they had the same problem as me. I tried twice to make mine seal and then ended up losing over a litre through the leak during the course of a month whilst I waited for a chance to change it again, my car got the nickname of puddles at work 
She did get two oil changes in a month though and I think that the middle of the chassis is rust proof for a while
She did get two oil changes in a month though and I think that the middle of the chassis is rust proof for a while
ChimpOnGas said:
A Dowty works by sealing the tread only, look closely and you'll see at the head of the David Brown sump plug is a waisted area of a lesser diameter than the thread, this is right where you're asking the Dowty to seal.
Eerrr no they don't. They seal on face to face not the thread. They are designed for hydraulic work and almost without exception you never seal hydraulic joints with the thread. If you use one on a sump plug you are sealing the flat face on the sump with the face on the plug, not the threads.Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff